::Here's To You, Mom!::

Happy Mother's Day, everyone! Today, we do a little something special for all the green mamas. Whether you're just a little bit green, or greener than the Amazon itself, we've got fun stuff for you to make your day even more special. Here's to you, moms, and all the hard work you do! We may be green by choice, but you're the whole reason we're here, so here's our salutation to all the hard-working new moms, veteran moms, stay at home moms, working moms, and moms-to-be to say 'thank you' for bringing us into the world and bringing us up green!

Have you ever asked your mother what she wants for Mother's Day? Chances are she said, Oh, nothing honey. Or, maybe she was very honest and said 'I want a nap'. Either way, we all know that mom deserves something special just for her to celebrate her special day. If you don't know what to get your great green mama, we've got some suggestions that will help her relax, unwind, indulge, and enjoy her Mother's Day all the more!

Let's begin with greeting card choices. While there's a veritable scbhmorgizbord of cards out there, all with different kinds of themes, whether it be sweet, cutesy, sappy, serious, or fun, there's one thing you can do to celebrate Mother's Day in a green way with your greeting. This year, when you're searching for that perfect card for mom, look around those endless greeting card aisles until you find the recycled paper section. There are plenty of cards to choose from and they're printed on recycled paper, such as the Papyrus line. With several, you can find a blank inside so that you can write your own greeting. A good idea for the non-creative types? Find a Mother's Day poem online and write it into the card. She'll thank you for the extra thought, and you've just given her a green gesture, too. The price of recycled greeting cards? Variable, depending on where you're shopping. You can get them locally made in most places, but they're going to be a little more pricey. However, Target has a section of recycled greeting cards that are priced right in line with the non-recycled counterparts. Some are even cheaper! This way, you can stay green, save a little money, and it will be a special gesture that means a lot to mom.

But what about flowers? How do you go green with those? Here's an idea: there are plenty of florists, flower shops, and floral sections around, but they all use pesticides and chemicals to keep their flowers looking fresh. However, all natural bouquets can last for days or even weeks if you treat them well. No pesticides necessary. Plus, those floral shops will charge you a pretty penny for a couple daisies and a rose. A good alternative? Go searching for mom's birth flower, the one that represents what month she was born in. Chances are there's a patch of grass somewhere around that's housing some of these beauties, and those flowers won't have any pesticides. Another alternative is the farmer's market. This time of year, the floral vendors are out with all their spring flowers, so you can shop there and get your green going with some chemical-free, local flowers, even ones that represent mom the most. Another extra little gesture that'll bring a tear to her eye. Thoughtfulness goes a long way to mom. :)

Let's address for a moment the wants and not-so-much wants of moms everywhere. Everyone knows that mom does a lot around the house, right? But remember, this doesn't mean that you should buy her a new vacuum cleaner to say thanks. [Unless she's been using one of those powerless prototypes for the past 30 years... in which case it might be time for an upgrade.] To moms, getting a Mother's Day gift that has something to do with housework is no way to say 'thank you for doing the housework'. Cleaning is the last thing mom wants to think about on Mother's Day, trust me. Instead of picking up that fancy new toaster, try going with something more personal. It's easier than you think. Avoid clothing, unless mom has a real thing for shawls or accessory items. Shirts, dresses, skirts, and pants... they're best left at the store. Another no-no? Age creams. I know it seems like a good idea, but trust me, this one is better off left untouched. Gift cards? A great idea, but most moms won't have much time to go shopping for themselves and honestly, and I can say this from experience, they might end up using that gift card for something more practical such as groceries. Groceries for Mother's Day? No way! Don't even give her the option. The exception to the gift card rule is this: if she has an affection for books or a specific little shop that only sells her kinds of items, then the gift card can be done. As long as she has to use it for herself, the gift card is acceptable. Steer clear of those Visa gift cards, though. That'll get spent on children's clothing and boxes of cereal quicker than you know.

So, what do you get mom for a Mother's Day gift? Well, we've covered the card and finished up with the flowers, so now all we have left is her special gift. Most moms really enjoy special outings and a little time to sit down and do something they always like to do. Is your mom the crafty kind? Maybe a gift certificate to a scrapbooking class might be a good idea. Our favorite subject is our family, so scrapbooking is appealing to many moms to keep all those special memories in place. Is she the classy type? Try finding her some dinner theatre tickets to a popular show. If she's sporty, maybe a new bike would surprise her! No one's mom is just run-of-the-mill. They each have their own special interests and quirks, so remember that while you're shopping and give her something that really comes from the heart.

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Here's some great green gifts that we've come up with as suggestions for Mother's Day purchases. They're affordable and mom-friendly, plus they're eco-friendly at the same time. No matter what kind of mom you have, believe me, she enjoys a little rest and relaxation. If you've got an eco-friendly spa nearby, you've found the perfect gift already, but as those are hard to come by, try these use-at-home alternatives to give mom the peace of mind she deserves. Believe me, she'll be grateful!

For the expecting mom, Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter with Cocoa Butter and Vitamin E. 98.5% all natural, smells delicious, and the packaging contains 50% post-consumer recycled plastic.

For the already-a-mom mom, Burt's Bees Mama Bee Leg and Foot Creme with Peppermint Oil and Rosemary Leaf extract. 100% all natural, still smells delicious, and the packaging contains 26% post-consumer recycled plastic.

Cut flowers, or, better yet, a nice plant so that she can see it year-round and remember how much you love her. Remember to go pesticide-free!

Organic teas. If you don't know what kind of taste buds she has, get a variety pack from your local co-op, grocery store, or specialty shop and give her a tasty way to relax.

An Under the Canopy spa robe. Will she be at the spa all the time? Of course not! So why not bring the spa to her? These robes are made of organic cotton and super comfy. Plus, they'll give her something nice to wear when she locks herself away for that little bit of peace and quiet time that she so rightly deserves.

Local organic chocolates are a great gift if yourmom has a sweet tooth. In Lawrence, we haveSleepy Jean's Confections, available at the farmer's market and The Merc, along with various other locations. These chocolates are handmade locally with care and love and they're packaged beautifully. Every mom loves handmade... and most of them love chocolate, too.

Does mom love candles? This one does! Get her somesoy candles to relax her atmosphere, available for very reasonable prices at every place from candle shops to Target. If you get them from Target, maybe pick up a couple pretty reusable bags for mom, too. Moms love attractive bags, believe me!

For even more relaxation, pair some lotion or candles with natural organic bath salts, like theseBolivian Pink Sea Salts from Etsy seller Sacred Herbals. Nothing relaxes the body and mind like a nice long bath, and these are sure to add that bit of extra peacefulness to her spa-like experience.

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That's all we have for you this Mother's Day! Send us messages and tell us what you got for your Mother's Day gifts or what special green goodies you gave to your mom. We love to hear from you! Shoot Mama Bennett an e-mail at saygoodmorningstarshine@gmail.com and tell us what made your Mother's Day special. Thanks for reading, everyone! Happy Mother's Day! And as always, thanks for growing up green with us!

::What's Green About Going Organic?::

or·gan·ic adj. ...3.d. simple, healthful, and close to nature: an organic lifestyle.

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We've all heard of eating organic. We've all heard of organic clothing. And we've all heard of natural cleaners. But what does going organic have to do with being eco-friendly? You want to know and we'll tell you!

Alright. Let's begin with organic foods. Why is organic grocery shopping good for the environment? Not only is eating organic healthy for you and your family, but it's greener too. When you eat non-organic, your fresh fruits and veggies are the carriers of various pesticides and fertilizers, none of which are good for the earth, not to mention unhealthy for your body. Even when you wash a non-organic apple, there are still pesticides that are left behind and some can even soak into the apple itself to be ingested by you or your kids, and those pesticides are far from healthy. Some have even been linked to forms of cancer. Plus, pesticides, of course, aren't produced in a green manner. So not only is eating a non-organic apple supporting pesticide production and use, but it's much less healthy for you as the consumer. What about canned and non-perishable foods? The problem here is the practices in factory production, not to mention how processed the foods are, and processed foods are much less healthy (and sometimes even harmful, if you have an irritable stomach) for you than organic. Another issue is packaging. Not only is it often packaged in non-recycled materials, but the packaging itself rarely gets recycled too. That's a lot of empty jars of JIF winding up in landfills.

And meat? Wow. Where to start? First of all, over half of all water consumption in the United States is used for raising animals for human consumption, so the less meat consumption you can handle the better. Fact: a meat-based diet requires 4,000 gallons of water per day, while a vegetarian diet requires only 300 gallons. That's a HUGE difference! The second meat problem is that it takes not only a great deal of water, but also a great deal of food to feed all that livestock as well, so by buying more meat, or even just slightly more than you need, you're actually supporting the use of all that food for that purpose. As we lose more and more farmland every day, we're running out of space set aside for farming to support just the human race, and we're using that food to feed our livestock instead. So, again, the less meat you can handle, the better! To top this off, factory farms are run on nonrenewable fossil fuels, so they're about as far from green as you can get. Now comes the issue of chemical usage. Cows don't need pesticides to make them edible, right? Well, yes and no. Pesticides from the food provided for the cows are retained in some of the meat, but pesticides aren't the issue here - it's synthetic hormones such as rBGH and rBST, both of which are used to increase milk production in cows. While rBGH was banned about a decade ago, it is unfortunately still being used. Sadly, not only do these hormones make it into our milk, but they also result in horrendous and inhumane side effects in the cows, making their lives painful and short. Even the manufacturing of the hormones is ecologically harmful, not to mention unethical. So, what should we do instead? Drink local milk. Many milk jugs and cartons will be labeled if they don't contain any hormones, so look for those on the shelf. If it's available to you, buy your milk from a local producer, many of whom will sell their milk in co-ops and natural food markets. Here's a way to help the local economy, support humane treatment of animals, live healthier, and still spare your spending. Just so you know, most hormone-free milk is priced about the same as hormone-filled milk. It's an even exchange! If you'd like more on the benefits of going organic, you can learn more here.

Now, on to organic clothing. What's all this mumbo jumbo about anyway? Usually, organic clothing is made from either cotton, soy, or bamboo, although you can sometimes find it made from other fibers. More often than not, even the inks used on the shirt are soy-based, so they're eco-friendly as well. If you've ever shopped for or purchased a piece of organic clothing, you know it can be pricey. However, with a little bit of searching, the priciness can be avoided. Organic clothing is often more comfortable than non-organics, simply because it isn't treated and produced in the same manner. Also, there are no chemicals or irritants in organics, so they may spare you any allergic reaction you might have to a certain fabric. The main reason behind producing organic clothing is, you guessed it, sustainability! When your tag says "100% organic cotton", you can assure yourself that the shirt you just bought was produced without causing harm to the earth. The cotton fiber is completely sustainable and the fact that it's organic means that no ecologically harmful methods were used in its growth or production. Your organic cotton shirt is completely green, and Mother Earth will certainly be happy about your wardrobe choice.

Helpful Hint: Buy your organic clothing online and look for discounts, sales, and special offers and deals. Back Country Outlet and Sierra Trading Post have some great buys that may even undercut your current clothing purchases, and for baby, check out sites like Organically Baby, Positively Organic, and BabySoy. Check out eBay, too. If you're diligent, you'll find fantastic deals on organic clothing from several different brands, all being sold at really cheap prices. Best of all? You'll be following the second of the three big "R"s: Reuse. Buying second hand, whether it's been worn or still has the tags on it, will reduce your consumption while still getting you a great deal and some new organic clothes. Try the same tactic with all your purchases. Frequent eBay auctions, check up on Craigslist, and scope out local garage scales, many of which will be featured online in your local newspaper. Your hard work will really pay off and reduce your impact on the earth, plus you'll still be one step closer to being 100% green and you'll still have money left over. That's a pretty great deal!

Last but not least, moving on to natural cleaners and household products. Wow, these guys are really something else! You might think that your Swiffer wet mop is the only thing that works for your floor cleaning, but there are some things you should know. First of all, many household cleaners use formaldehyde. Formaldehyde has no determined safe level of human exposure - it's a toxin. It also has links to early aging (causing wrinkles to form), as well as emphysema and heart disease, and various cancers. Ever dissected something in your high school biology class? Those little frogs are soaked in it, which is what makes their bodies so tough to dissect. Nowadays, dissection classes are less prominent to avoid formaldehyde exposure to our kids, so if your child happens to be in a biology class, ask questions. Chances are, they won't be doing dissections, but if they are, you might want to consider writing a note to excuse your child from the class. Try sharing your helpful info with other parents as well. They'd be grateful to know! And as far as household products go, formaldehyde can be in any of your toilet cleaners, dishwashing detergents, air fresheners, or even in your shampoo. It's even in Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo! If you google search your products, you can find out if formaldehyde is contained in them and spare yourself the chemical exposure. But formaldehyde isn't the only harmful chemical being used in seemingly benign household products. The Swiffer sweeper that's so popular, for example, has had trace amounts of chemicals found in anti-freeze in the cleaning solution. The ASPCA has recently stated that any link between these chemicals and pet death or illness is unfounded, however, if your pet walks through your freshly Swiffered kitchen and then licks its paws, you can bet they're ingesting some of those chemicals. Fatal or not, the warning on the Swiffer WetJet still reads "May Be Harmful to Children and Animals", so it's probably not a risk to be taking. And what about those baby toys that go between your child's hand, the floor, and their mouth? That's right. More chemical ingestion. Whether it has fatal effects or just causes some intestinal pain, it's enough to put any baby or pet in danger. So what's the remedy? Natural cleaners. Now, you may think that if you go and buy Seventh Generation detergent or invest in some Green Works kitchen cleaner you're going to be paying a pretty penny and breaking the bank. Not true! While there are plenty of excellent natural cleaners on the shelves, you don't have to buy your cleaners when you want to go chemical-free [and eco-friendly]. Here's the better way: make your own cleaners by trying these clean and green alternatives. Most of them will use a mixture of water, vinegar, and lemon juice, and they'll clean just as well as the brand names off the shelves, only without the chemical additives. And don't worry about compromising your purchasing and losing your streak-free shine. With as many recipes out there for natural cleaners and household products, you'll find that they work every bit as efficient as the chemical-filled ones, only they're healthier for you and your family, including your pets, and they don't harm the planet.

Try this! Find some recycled plastic spray bottles [and as a note, check to see what percent of the bottle is recycled and whether it's pre-consumer or post-consumer - if it's post-consumer, you've found your bottle], gather up some online recipes for different detergents, cleaners, soaps, shampoos, etc., and get to mixing. Chances are that what you need to make your cleaners is already in your cabinets. That means you save money while you enjoy your healthy, sustainable living!

So, the conclusion is this: buy organic. If you can help it, buy local organic by shopping at your nearest co-op or hitting up the farmer's market. The amount of toxins you'll avoid and the amount of chemicals you'll be keeping out of the earth really adds up. You'll feel healthier, spend less of your money, and live greener. So the next time you see an organic apple, pick it up and stick it in your reusable bag. You've just done yourself and your family a good service, not to mention the world.

♥ Mama Bennett

Bennett Family Organic Favorites: Burt's Bees Baby Shampoo & Yerba Mate Tea

This stuff keeps Miles' and Molly's hair smelling delicious, looking fantastic, and all without formaldehyde. Just like Johnson & Johnson, it's tear-free, so it won't sting their eyes, plus, the scent is natural too and made from coconut and sunflower oils. It's even phthalate-free and not tested on animals. An even bigger perk? The bottle is made from 80% post-consumer recycled materials. And when baby has used it all, you can recycle it again with your #2 plastics. Remember to remove the cap first!

And for Mom and Dad, there's Yerba Mate tea by Nativa. It's extremely healthy, increasing energy, clearing the mind, relieving allergies, and even improving your sleep. It even contains less than half the caffeine that you'll find in ground coffee. You can find it pretty much anywhere, but we buy ours from HyVee. Don't go to a natural foods store for this one. Keep costs down by buying from a grocery store or your local Walmart, if they carry it there. It'll save you quite a bit of money and it's still all-natural. A little tip: if you like things sweet, add some organic honey and a touch of sugar to make it extra delicious. Then, sit back, relax, and enjoy some quiet time with your Yerba Mate! It's a great way to relax after a long day.